A Birthday Celebration
Racine, WI

We have a patient on our service that is in the late stages of dementia and struggles to connect with the world around her. In fact, she turned 103 today! When I arrived at the facility, she was just sitting there. There were no balloons or cake and the staff seemed to pass by without any notice that this was her special day.

I decided something had to be done. Immediately, I set out to get her a cake and balloons so that today, of all days, she would feel celebrated. When I got back with the cake and balloons, the staff and I walked into her room and began to sing. The biggest smile appeared on her face and tears began to roll down her cheeks. Almost at the same time,her grand daughter arrived for a visit. We sat around and sang songs that the patient, who had been a piano player, knew and loved. It was an honor to celebrate this special day with her.